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Join the Newport Beach Historical Society on Monday, March 24 from 6 to 8 p.m. for Bill Lobdell’s presentation of “W.S. Collins: Balboa Island Visionary, Con Man or Both?”
The dinner will be held at the Balboa Pavilion Grand Ballroom located at 400 Main St, Newport Beach. Purchase your tickets at newportbeachhistorical.org. Members can purchase their ticket for $60 and non-members for $75 which will include a one-year membership to the non-profit.
W.S. Collins was a farsighted land speculator who is best known for buying the entire Newport Beach townsite in 1902 and then creating Balboa Island out of a tiny, mosquito-ridden mudflat. Collins also had a darker side that’s been rarely explored: shady deals, broken promises, five wives, bankruptcy, and endless controversies. Despite only spending little more than a decade in Newport Beach, W.S. Collins may be the most interesting person in the city history.
Bill Lobdell is a local historian who produces a popular podcast called “Newport Beach in the Rearview Mirror,” along with Instagram videos about local history that have gotten nearly 2.5 million views.
Bill’s love for Newport Beach history began during his decade-long stint as the award-winning editor of the Daily Pilot. He also worked as an award-winning investigative reporter and editor for the Los Angeles Times for many years. Bill lives in Corona del Mar.
The Newport Beach Historical Society connects people – past, present and future. NBHS collects, inspires, educates, preserves and protects the unique and vibrant history of the City of Newport Beach. This includes Balboa, Corona del Mar, Newport Harbor, its islands and offshore, the Back Bay, Newport Coast and Newport Mesa.
The Newport Beach Historical Society was formed in 1967. It was incorporated as a
non-profit 501(C)(3) corporation in December 2014. Learn more at www.newportbeachhistorical.org.